Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Review - Living With the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

Living with the DeadWomen of the Otherworld, Book 9Kelley ArmstrongBantamOctober 21, 2008ISBN# 978-0-553-80664-9

Book blurb:They’re smart, sexy, and supernatural. They’re the men and women of the Otherworld—a realm of witches, ghosts, and werewolves who live unseen among us. Only now a reckless killer has torn down the wall, trapping one very human woman in the supernatural cross fire.

Robyn Peltier moved to Los Angeles after her young husband’s sudden death, trying to put some distance between herself and her memories. Though she’s still grieving, the challenges of her new life as the PR consultant to Portia Kane—the world’s most famous celebutante wannabe—can sometimes be amusing, even distracting. But when her client is gunned down in the back room of a nightclub, Robyn is suddenly on the run as the prime suspect in the murder. And as more bodies pile up around her, it seems like only Hope Adams, Robyn’s best friend, and Hope’s somewhat spooky boyfriend Karl are on Robyn’s side. Hope Adams follows the kinds of stories whose headlines scream from supermarket checkout lines. But the difference is that Hope’s stories are even weirder—and they’re all true. Though determined to help Robyn, Hope knows it’s only a matter of time before her friend is caught. But it’s not the police Hope is worried about. For Robyn has gotten herself in the middle of a turf war between two powerful Otherworld cabals who’ll spill any amount of blood—human and inhuman—to protect what they consider theirs for all eternity. And the only way Hope can keep her friend alive is by letting her enter a world she’s safer knowing nothing about.

My thoughts:Widowed early in her marriage, Robyn Peltier moved to L.A. and took on a public relations job for a young celebrity, Portia Kane. When Portia suddenly turns up dead during a night they’re out clubbing, Robyn becomes a suspect in the murder. With the help of her friend Hope, and Hope’s boyfriend Karl, she’ll have to evade Detective John Findlay long enough to clear her name.

Discovering the truth is far from easy work when someone is out to eliminate Robyn as well, but she soon learns that there’s more than a murder involved. There’s a supernatural world all around her and they’ll stop at nothing to keep their existence a secret.

This is the ninth book in the Women of the Otherworld series. Hope and Karl play a large role in this installment as they help Robyn track down a killer and keep her safe from those who’d like to see her dead. Ms. Armstrong is a talented author and doesn’t disappoint in this latest tale from her meticulously built Otherworld. The characters are believable, and the action they bring to the story is exciting and rarely predictable. New paranormal elements, a well executed storyline and a continued romance all add to making Living With the Dead a great read. I’m looking forward to the next release, Men of the Otherworld.

To learn more about Living with the Dead and the Women of the Otherworld series, please visit Ms. Armstrong’s website: Here

But the difference is that Hope’s stories are even weirder—and they’re all true This is the part that I find scary. This series is weird enough without thinking this stuff really does happen. Oooohhh - just in time for Halloween.

I know this is part of a series but can this one be read as a standalone?

It could be read as a stand-alone because she does a good job of cluing the reader in on who's who and what they are, but Hope and Karl (as well as the other couples that are mentioned) have a stormy back-story that you don't really want to miss. :)

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